Collectors of Souls
by ScouterFight
Summary: Prompt: Angel of Death Sylvanas going to collect Jaina's soul but Jaina says: "Fuck you. It's not my time yet" and stays alive just out of spite. A quick One-shot, the idea came to me because of the prompt above, does not follow 100% but I like it better this way.


Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

AN: Just a quick One-shot to relax after the 11k word monster that was the third chapter of Shadowlands.

Please enjoy reading.

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Sylvanas Windrunner the strongest of the original fifteen Collectors of Souls that resided on the mortal plane, walked slowly through the large halls of an old estate, her long black cloak billowed behind her. The few servants that littered the halls never even noticed her, as she swept past them, they only felt how the air around them grew slightly colder as if a breeze had disturbed the stillness of the night.

It was rare that Sylvanas herself had to collect a soul, most mortal souls could easily be collected by one of her servants, but there was always one soul in a billion that managed to resist every attempt to collect it.

Sylvanas hated these types of souls, not because they managed to resist the call of death more than once, but because those souls always believed that they had something to live for. Something so powerful that it gave them the strength to resist the Call of Death, a call that was so powerful that no being had ever managed to resist the call indefinitely. Because in the end, Death always wins the fight against Life.

Sylvanas had experienced the power of this ancient law the hard way, as had her first servants, those who collected the souls of the living with her, damned to an eternity of being alive as well as dead, their undead state prevented them from moving forward and to see their loved ones ever again. This was their punishment for crimes they hadn't even committed.

The world had changed a lot since they had been alive, it had grown bigger and yet smaller at the same time, more and more mortals were born each year, which also meant that more people died, and this meant more souls which meant more work for those like her. During the last few hundred years, the number of souls that waited to be guided over into the afterlives grew too numerous for the fifteen original Collectors.

Over the time she had 'created' several other Collectors. Volunteers who weren't yet quite ready to face their afterlife. Some had stayed with her until now, while others had chosen to go on after they had spent several years collecting souls. Some had taken the opportunity to watch over their loved ones. So that they would see a familiar face when their time would eventually come as well. Others simply feared what awaited them on the other side. But Sylvanas and the other fourteen Original Collectors would never have the opportunity to move on.

She arrived at her destination, an unremarkable door in a small hallway. One of her servants was standing in the open doorway, her face grave as she gazed into the room.

"Areiel," Sylvanas spoke as she stepped beside the other Collector.

"My lady." Areiel bowed briefly.

"Is this…" She questioned softly, it was still hard for her, after thousands of years of doing this, another reason why she only rarely visited the dying personally.

"Yes, the young woman on the bed is our wayward soul. Jaina Proudmoore, age 22."

"Why is she dying?"

"She is gifted in the Ancient Arts, and-"

"Yes?" Sylvanas prodded softly when her servant hesitated, she already had a feeling why Areiel was feeling slightly uncertain.

"She has contracted a mana eating virus a few years ago. Because the users of Ancient Arts have mostly gone extinct, nobody had recognized the signs of her illness until it had already been far too late to save her."

"When did you first tried to collect her soul?"

"It wasn't me."

Sylvanas's eyes widened in shock, she must have misheard her servant, "Excuse me?"

"There were others before me."

"How many?" The leader of the Collectors tried to contain her anger, but it was hard.

Areiel visibly hesitated her bright red eyes grew slightly dimmer, "I'm the third."

"The **third**!" Sylvanas exploded.

"Yes, I-" Areiel tried to explain, but Sylvanas interrupted her.

"Who tried before you?" Her voice was barely above a growl, she couldn't believe it, this hasn't happened in a very, very long time.

While something like this had been a common occurrence during their earlier years when not one of them had had any idea what they were even supposed to be doing. Because they had been thrown to the wolves when they had been sentenced. But now this, she wanted to strangle someone.

"A young Collector but he couldn't get her soul to leave, he then asked his instructor, but Anya didn't manage it either, then they asked me."

"And how long has this been going on?"

"Nearly a week, my lady."

"A week…?"

"Yes." Areiel winced.

"You let a soul that should have been collected over a week ago, stay?"

"We tried everything but nothing worked, and when I noticed that I called you."

"And yet you choose to wait for a week…"

"Forgive me, my lady."

Sylvanas scoffed, "I`ll deal with you three later, for now, I have something more important to deal with."

"Yes, of course, my lady."

She nodded towards the older woman sitting beside the sleeping human, "I presume that that is her mother?"

"Yes."

"Get her out of here," she ordered Areiel, who quickly nodded and bowed.

Sylvanas muttered under her breath, "By the Titans, this is not going to be easy, a week, what were you even thinking?"

Only once Sylvanas was finally alone with the dying human asleep did she choose to move again. The ancient being noted absentmindedly that the bed dwarfed the human, even if she hadn't been as frail as she was now, the bed would have been far too big for one person regardless. The mana eating virus had seemingly turned a formerly beautiful, if the pictures in the halls had been any indication, into a dying husk, a shadow of her former self.

The Collector kneeled next to the bed and took the woman's right hand between her own, the soul that rested inside the slumbering human thrummed weakly in response to her touch. Now that she was closer to the poor woman, she could see why three other Collectors had tried and failed to collect this one. It was a powerful soul, certainly more powerful than they had encountered in ages. But the efforts over the week had damaged it significantly, she shook her head weakly, this would not be easy, not for her and not for the poor girl lying before her.

Keeping a grasp on the human's hand in one of her own, she let her other hand travel to Jaina's forehead. Sylvanas drew a quick rune onto the soft skin there and felt how the human began to stir. The weak heartbeat in her chest picked up, but Sylvanas noticed that it was still far too sluggish, her hand twitched a few times, and her brows furrowed with sharp pain. Sylvanas winced the poor girl, what a horrible way to die. The virus that was killing her was not an ordinary virus, the fact that she had survived so long with it inside of her spoke volumes about her former strength and power.

It was a shame that such a young user of the Ancient Arts would die so early in her prolonged life. Jaina Proudmoore would be one of the last magic users that had graced these lands, it was a tragedy, that the Ancient Arts were fated to die out like that. Once rulers of Empires, beings that had been able to wipe out entire armies with a wave of their hand, and healers that had managed to cure plagues that would have killed thousands. And what had become of the last people of this ancient and powerful culture?

Withering husks that fell to a sickness that had once been nothing more than a mild stomachache. During the days when Sylvanas had still been alive, the users of the Ancient Art had been numerous, the world had prospered and the people were happy and safe.

"The world grows darker, with every magical being that draws its last breath," Sylvanas muttered to herself. An old friend had once told her this, long before her fall, and it seems that he had always been right. This world while full of technological advancements and progress was not a good world to live in.

Tired lashes fluttered open, and Sylvanas focused back on the tortured soul in front of her. Blue eyes flittered disorientated and drowsily around the room, the Collector gave Jaina a few moments to gather herself. She would wait for the human to notice her, her charms to keep her hidden had long since faded. They had time, after all, no one would disturb them for a few hours, Areiel would ensure it.

Blue eyes met red eyes and Sylvanas waited for the reaction, but none came. No panicked gasp, no screaming, no shout, nothing. The young human just stayed silent. Sylvanas saw how those beau-, startling blue eyes slowly traced over her noble Quel'dorei features.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Sylvanas drawled.

The girl's brows furrowed even more, but this time not because of the pain she must be surely still feeling, no Sylvanas had a feeling that this was more about the fact that an unnatural pale, red-eyed woman, clad completely in dark leathers and a large cloak was sitting at her bedside.

"Are you another Angel of Death?"

"Another?"

"There were three others before you…"

"We are not Angels of Death, little human," Sylvanas whispered softly, as she stroked the human's forehead soothingly, the fever had already returned with a full force. Jaina nuzzled into her cold hand.

"Then what are you? Certainly not vampires, none of you have tried to drink my blood. Not that that would be a good idea anyway." The last part had been muttered but Sylvanas's sharp ears had caught it anyway.

She chuckled darkly, as she softly wiped away a few strands of hair from the girl's forehead, "But the theory that we are Angels of Death is close enough. I'm here to guide your Soul into the afterlife."

"I knew it." Sylvanas's eyebrows rose at the triumphant note in the otherwise very fragile voice, "But I can't die just yet."

The fact that the human said it so matter-of-factly was what threw Sylvanas completely off her game, "And why is that so?" She asked slowly, but the amusement that colored her voice was hard to conceal.

What a delightful little mortal.

"Because I can't just die now, I don't have _time_ to die yet, there is so much that I still have to see, that I still can _learn_ about this world."

This perplexed the Collector and despite herself, she allowed the confusion to seep into her voice, "You don't want to die because you still want to _study_?"

Most humans at that age had very different things in mind when they were confronted with death, the fact that this one just wanted to learn, was certainly something new to the ancient being.

But most of all it was a puzzle for her to solve, then what drove someone like Jaina Proudmoore, someone who had been, and still was, on the verge of death for over a week now, who should have been delirious and completely out of her mind, to cling so stubbornly onto life, just because she wanted to study?

"Yes, I always liked to study, the Ancient Arts, the natural sciences, how these two completely different paths collide with each, and so much more. And…"

"And…?" She prodded when Jaina fell silent.

"I don't want to go just yet, it does not feel right to die now."

"You are perhaps the most peculiar human I have ever met. Your passion to study, and your desire to spite the higher powers, is so strong that you are able o resist the greatest power in the universe." Sylvanas smirked.

"My mother always told me that I was horrible stubborn." Jaina laughed weakly, before she coughed, "Does this mean that I can…stay?" She sounded so wistful that Sylvanas was very tempted to just allow her that, but-.

"I wish, and under normal circumstances, I could allow you to live on. I would heal your sickness, but the sloppiness of my servants has damaged your soul severely. If I allow you to stay and to live your life now, you would never regain full health, you would always be weak and sicknesses would plague you constantly, you would probably meet one of us again in just a few months, if not weeks."

"Oh…" Sylvanas winced at the disappointment in Jaina's voice, she cursed her limited powers. Even when she wanted to help someone, as rarely as that was, she wasn't allowed to do much.

"I wish it could be different, but I can't allow you to live it would be irresponsible of me, and in your state, I'm not even allowed to do so. I'm sorry."

"It's alright…" Jaina sounded disappointed and even slightly angry, despite her words. And Sylvanas could not really blame her. Sylvanas had lived a full life compared to the human before fate had ripped it all away from her.

"But maybe there is a way."

This caused the human to perk up again, "What do you mean."

"I have the ability to create more Collectors of Souls, it would be your job to collect the souls of those who are dying, and guide them to their afterlife. And when you aren't busy you have free reign about what you want to do."

"So, I would still be able to study?" There was a childlike innocence in those blue eyes that made it very hard for Sylvanas to resist her.

"Yes."

"That's good because that is all I ever wanted, I just wanted to study." Jaina trailed off slowly.

Sylvanas smiled at her for a moment but then grew serious again, "But there is something you should know if you really want this."

"What is it?"

"I don't know if I can send you to the afterlife should you now choose to become one of my Collectors. The damage that has been caused to your soul is extensive. You have to understand that if you become one of my Collectors, it could become possible that you won't ever be able to enter your afterlife." She explained and already braced herself for the reaction.

"Would that really be so bad? An eternity of studying and spending time with someone like you… and have you seen the two, um… what were they called again-?" It seemed that this strange young mortal had once again surprised her.

"Do you mean my Collectors?"

"Ah yes Collectors, of course, I mean they were very appealing…"

Sylvanas raised her eyebrows, that was simply unbelievable and she had always thought some of her Collectors were already horrible flirts, "Are you flirting with me? And complimenting my Collectors at the same time?"

"Would you believe me that my meds are causing this?"

"No."

"But I want this, I don't think that dying would be good for me now. I'm not done yet."

Sylvanas didn't mention the fact that Jaina would be dying regardless, but she understood what the human meant.

"Do you want to say goodbye to your mother?" She asked softly. The memories of her own death appeared unwanted before her eyes, she would have given everything to have seen her sisters one last time, before she and her unit had been marched before the firing squad.

"I already did, several times over the last week, ever since your Collectors first appeared. I don't think she could take another goodbye."

"Very well, but I must warn you, this is going to be extremely painful."

"I'm ready."

Sylvanas stood up slowly, never taking her eyes away from the frail human laying on the bed. She wanted to check that there would be absolutely no doubt in those eyes. When she was satisfied with what she found, she knelt slowly onto the bed, right beside Jaina.

"Ready?"

"Do it." Jaina nodded.

Sylvanas nodded and pressed one of her hands onto Jaina's forehead and the other over her body, right above her heart. She took one last big unnecessary breath and then channeled her powers into Jaina. Sylvanas gritted her teeth to keep herself from screaming, she hadn't told Jaina that the pain went both ways, another way for her to pay for her _crimes_.

She felt Jaina convulse beneath her hands, but her frail body and Sylvanas's grip kept her from moving too much, Jaina screamed once, twice and then a third time before she suddenly went limp.

One last breath escaped the dying human and then the body on the bed went still. Sylvanas breathed a sigh of relief, it was over as quick as it had begun. She never mentioned the strain such an action caused her. She only barely registered Areiel entering the room through one of the windows. Still, she did not take her hands away from the rapidly cooling body below her.

"My lady, is everything alright?" Areiel questioned softly when she saw that her mistress was even paler than usual.

Sylvanas nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. Return to the others and inform them that we are going to be having a new Collector."

"Of course, my lady."

"And Areiel?"

"Yes?"

"Collect that trainee, Anya and prepare yourself to be summoned."

"Yes… my lady."

She briefly turned away from the now dead body below her to look her Collector in the eyes, "You robbed someone of their afterlife, I hope that you know that there are going to be consequences for your actions. Because this is unacceptable"

"Yes, my lady."

"Good before you go, would you mind telling me the trainee's name?"

"Nathanos Morris."

Sylvanas hummed once before she quickly shooed her servant away, Nathanos was still a young trainee, but it looked as if he would never be able to complete his training. This was a mistake she could not condone. He had robbed someone of their afterlife with his actions, she didn't know what she was going to be doing with either Anya or Areiel yet, as she could not punish them the same way she could punish Nathanos, oh well she would just have to get creative.

Now that she was alone again, she carefully lifted her hands from the Jaina's body, revealing a small icy blue orb in her right hand, it was not much bigger than a tennis ball, but worth so much more. Sylvanas carefully closed those equally blue eyes and once more brushed the few strands of hair that had fallen into her face, behind her ears.

Now Jaina looked as if she had simply fallen asleep once more. Sylvanas smiled softly, at least Jaina's body was in good hands, the leader of the Collectors had never learned the fate of her own body. She hoped to this day that her sisters had gotten to it before anyone else had the chance. At the very least it would have given them a bit of closure.

Standing up she looked briefly more around the room, this was apparently not Jaina's room as the room was mostly empty, probably set up as a sick room, as it was easier to reach, because it was situated on the first floor. So, there was nothing that she could take with her that she knew would mean anything to Jaina. They would have to come back at some point if the youngest Collector wanted to.

Sylvanas quickly left the estate, it would not be long now until someone discovered Jaina's body and she wanted to be as far away from the estate when that happened, she didn't want to cause Jaina unnecessary stress, with the emotions, humans practically radiated when they were under duress.

Carefully cradling the small soul between her hands, she shifted into a less than corporal form and disappeared into the night, she knew exactly where she wanted to summon Jaina back into this world, a small and remote dock not too far from Boralus, that she knew Jaina would have liked. She was for the first time in a very long time excited about what the coming days would bring. Sylvanas knew that Jaina would certainly make a fine Collector. And with the attitude she had displayed while dying, she was looking forward to how spunky the young woman could be when she was at full strength.

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AN: I hope that you liked it.

There is not much to say about this so if you have any questions, please ask away.

Not sure yet if I'm going to be doing more with this AU because while it is interesting, I have no idea for a follow-up Plot because this whole thing happened because of a prompt on a Discord Server.

Maybe I do another One-shot where Jaina adjusts to being a Collector, and flirts with the others, while Sylvanas looks on from afar and tries to deny that she is jealous. Or maybe I follow up with a backstory about what happened to Sylvanas and her 'Rangers'.

Oh well but first I have to deal with Shadowlands, tomorrow is my day off from writing but the day after tomorrow I'm back on working on Shadowlands.

So, maybe leave a constructive review down below. Maybe even a fav, or follow the story as that would really make my day.

Thank you very much, this is ScouterFight and I'm out.


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